Like Mother Like Son
by ZombieMonkey
Summary: Elizabeth Bishop is a lot like her son, and would do anything to get his heart back to him. Spoilers for Over There pt2/ Elizabeth Bishop/Olivia Dunham centered with Peter in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The walls seemed to be expanding and retracting, like that of some strange fun house she used to frequent as a child. Except in this case there would be no cheesy witch to jump out at her, making her jump and drop her ice cream. Instead there was only white tiled walls, plain concrete floor and a ceiling that held more secrets than she even dared to think of. Olivia Dunham was in her first week of isolation and already was feeling the effects of the darkness which surrounded her on a daily basis; they hadn't turned on the lights, instead the only light she ever saw was when Walter Bishop - Mr. Secretary - opened the shutter, piercing her sensitive eyes with the brightness.

He never said anything, just stood there; his hair gelled back into a tight mess which she wanted to burn off. His eyes held no emotion, no hint of what he was planning on doing with her. How she wanted to leap up, break down the thick glass blocking her from him and smash the perfect little smirk off his face. Walter was so much different than the one she knew back home. This Walter hadn't had the privilege of being kept in an institution for 17 years, being broken to the point of no return; he hadn't led the life that her Walter had. Instead he had tried in vain to find the son that had been rightfully taken from him, and while her heart panged at the mere thought of thinking of Peter, it wasn't anywhere close to what his mother must have felt.

Elizabeth Bishop was an enigma Olivia would very much like to know. She hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her before she had been taken, and Olivia wondered if Elizabeth even knew of her husbands plans. Or even if she knew Olivia was there, trapped and blinded. If the mother was anything like the son she'd want the truth before doing anything. Peter was a stranger in two worlds; he didn't belong in either one yet he chose to go back with her, knowing he'd never feel complete. And it made Olivia wonder, why he had chosen that course of action, surely he'd want to stay and get to know his mother?

Her thoughts were broken as the shutter began to rise slowly, a thin beam of light entering her domain. Squinting she refused to move, keeping her position on the cot, knees up, face composed. Even after a week in isolation, Olivia wasn't giving up any information that could be counted against her, and she knew it would. Inch by inch the shutter moved until she could see a figure standing there, but it wasn't who she thought it would be if the light pink dress was any indication. Unless Walter Bishop had indeed gone insane and was wearing dresses now. Which wouldn't surprise Olivia. The pink dress gave way to slender shoulders, upon which sat dark brown hair, tinted with gray. As the shutter completed its upward stint she gazed into the soft eyes of Elizabeth Bishop.

Elizabeth wasn't what she had expected when her eyes finally adjusted to the light cascading through the window. Her eyes were soft green, almost a hazel and they seemed to penetrate Olivia's soul, as if looking for something. Her face was calm, serene as she stood there, her right hand falling gently to overlap her left, entwining her fingers together in a pose meant to be reassuring. Olivia wasn't reassured though; as she looked into those hazel eyes she found herself realizing just how much Peter looked like her. Sure his eyes were blue, like his father's but everything else was all Elizabeth. Her cheek bones were tight against her face, his were softened slightly by the stubble which hid his youthful look. Peter had Walter's nose though she mused silently as she tilted her head slightly, her eyes moving down to her mouth. He definitely had Elizabeths' lips she realized with a look so surreal she watched as Elizabeth relaxed slightly, her shoulders lowering.

No one said anything for a moment as they sized the other up. Olivia was at the disadvantage however; she knew that Peter had told his mother about her, yet she knew nothing about this woman. All she knew, she had missed her son and had blamed her universe for taking him away from her. Moving her legs out to stretch them, Olivia never took her eyes off this woman she was most fascinated with as she lowered her legs and crossed her ankles, her face completely blank. She was used to being captured by now, it had happened so many times in her FBI career she didn't think anything of it anymore. Yet this time felt different; this time felt like the last time. Watching as Elizabeth's face softened some more, her mouth opening she didn't expect the first question.

"Tell me about Peter."

Olivia blinked; she hadn't expected Elizabeth to speak, just to stand there motionless like her husband did before closing the shutter, leaving her in darkness. Having one of her captors speak to her was different, though not completely unexpected. Placing both hands on her lap, her shoulders tense from being in one position for so long she replied,

"What do you want to know?"

Elizabeth smiled, her eyes warming as she detected a hint if unease from the other woman. "You've known him for much longer than I have. What is he like?" She asked, keeping her voice even.

Thinking of Peter hurt, more than she thought it would. Olivia had spent the last however long she'd been in this small enclosed space trying hard to not think about him, but there it was. If she were completely honest with herself she'd admit that he had invaded her mind since she'd been brought in, hovering just outside of reach. She wondered what Peter was doing at this moment, if he was thinking of her at all or if he was thinking about leaving Walter again. Thinking back on their last moments together brought up a well of emotions she didn't want to show, but as her mind drifted off to the room, his hand on her lower back holding her as they shared their first kiss a tear broke through the impenetrable wall and she blinked.

"Peter is…unique. In more ways than one." Olivia stated softly, wiping the tear with an angry fist. "He's caring, compassionate, generous. Never thinks of himself, always thinks of others. I used to joke he has a hero complex, always saving those he cares about when the time comes." she paused, her heart palpating hard in her chest. _Get a hold of yourself Olivia _she thought, lifting her head to look at the older woman behind the glass.

Elizabeth had been listening the whole time, taking in the small changes in the other womans' demeanor. Walter didn't know she was here; he was in another country at the moment, something about work needing him there. She never understood why protecting the planet from an unseen force was necessary; she thought that it took away from what was important. Family. Love. Friendship. Having a husband who was hardly home had taken its toll on her, and Elizabeth had found herself needing to get away from it all. When word had come in that they had captured a woman from the other universe, Elizabeth knew she needed to find out who it was. During her brief time with Peter she had learned a lot in that brief time. He was a man in love, even if he didn't know it. A mother could tell though; the way his eyes softened as he spoke of his coworker Olivia Dunham, his voice drifting as he spoke of their lives together in that other universe.

It was interesting to see she mused, the hurt was clearly evident in him as he spoke about finding out he was from this universe, Olivia lying to him about the glimmer which made him different. His blue eyes darkened slightly before leveling out as he spoke of Walter, the man who had years ago stolen him from her. She hadn't known the whole story though, and when Peter had finished telling her, she'd spent that night angry at Walter - her Walter - for starting this war. It was clear that Peter was confused, and she hadn't wanted to push or pull him into doing what he didn't want to do. He spoke of Olivia a lot; more so than even he probably knew. Little things like how they went out for drinks and how he cared for her. Elizabeth could tell he was still unsure whether to tell her everything and she wasn't disappointed.

When he had left suddenly, Olivia going with him she hadn't known of Walter's hideous plan. Kidnapping their Olivia and switching her with their Olivia in an attempt to gain intelligence about their universe was something she never expected from him. The Walter she knew and loved was caring, soft spoken, charitable. This new Walter scared her; if he did this to his own son, what would he do to her? And so it was that thought that had left her wondering just what Peter was like. She had waited until he left the country before venturing into the DOD on Liberty Island, using her own credentials and had found the cell holding the other Olivia. It had been a shock seeing her there; sure her hair was the same but everything else about her was different from the Olivia she knew only briefly.

Olivia Dunham from the other universe was a broken woman, she could see that easily as she opened the shutter, staring into the darkened room. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she'd been crying most of the time, her once colored cheeks pale from non exposure. But it wasn't her appearance that told Elizabeth she was broken, it was her spirit. Elizabeth had always been a good judge of people, and seeing Olivia huddled in the corner, her head in her knees, eyes covered told her she was a woman full of regret. Waves of despair flowed off of her as she finally looked up, noticing the different person standing there. Elizabeth had expected a look of anger but instead was met with nothing. It was clear she didn't belong here, she fit all wrong with the stark white of the walls, the light creating no warm atmosphere. As she continued to stare into the thick window she suddenly understood how Peter felt. And it was then Elizabeth knew she had to find out more about him, and what better person to ask than the one now stretching in the room? Asking had been easy; hearing the answer, not so much. She knew he was caring, but hearing it from this woman she had only met was something else. The conviction and pain in Olivia's voice caused a pain in Elizabeths' chest. Her motherly instincts knew it to be true; Olivia and Peter were meant to be together.

"What is he like at work; what does he do exactly." Elizabeth found herself asking, completely riveted by the woman.

Olivia smiled wistfully, her eyes taking on the look of reminiscing. "He's determined to figure everything out. His official position is Civilian consultant but he's so much more than that. He's head strung." she replied, keeping her tone light. Her attitude changed in an instant however as her eyes hardened, face turning to stone as she suddenly glared at her.

"If you expect me to tell you about what kind of work we do so you can tell your husband so he can kill me, think again." she suddenly said, voice hard as she stood up, moving to the window.

She took a step back, her hand moving to her chest as she watched Olivia change from the broken down woman to the stern hard one she knew from Peter. Hazel eyes softened around the edges, a wary look piercing the window as she shook her head, "I had no intention of doing that Miss Dunham. My husband has some explaining to do." she replied in a gentle voice.

"Good. Do you know what you husband has planned for Peter?" Olivia demanded.

Standing her ground she shook her head once more. "No." she said simply, casting a look over her shoulder.

Olivia scowled. "Well maybe you should find out before you speak to me again." she declared before crossing back to her bed and sitting on it, knees going up, face buried.

End of conversation.

Knowing she wasn't going to get anymore out of her at this point she lifted her hand from her chest and began moving the shutter down, but not before hearing the echoing sob that pierced the room or the whispered, "I miss you Peter." from Olivia. Holding back a sigh, Elizabeth closed her eyes, the shutter fully down now and made her way back to the main lobby. She needed to get out of here and think.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Walking down the path to the helicopter that would take her to the Liberty Island, Elizabeth frowned deeply. It had been three days since she had spoken to the other Olivia Dunham and yet she still had no answers. She felt for the woman however; trapped in a rectangular room with no sun shine and no real way of getting rest had to be hard on her. Olivia was a strong determined woman from what she had gathered, much like herself. As the sun beat down on her face, warming her inside and out, Elizabeth stopped walking, looking over to the Statue of Liberty standing so far away, yet close enough that she could reach out and hold it in her hand. Lady Liberty stood for justice and liberty enlightening the world for all to see. Yet if she only knew what was being kept close to her bosom she'd shake her head in shame.

Sighing delicately, Elizabeth continued on to the heli-pad she nodded to the man standing guard in front of the helicopter and slipped inside, buckling herself in securely and listening vaguely to the normal security speech she always got. She needed to have another conversation with the woman with the brown hair.

Olivia sat huddled on the floor, no longer wanting the comfort of the cot. Her hair was disheveled, knotted with the endless hours of running her hands through it, in an attempt to calm herself down and think. She had no idea what to expect; no one had visited her since Elizabeth, no meals had come, no Secretary to silently mock her. Her mind reeled with confusion, and endless wave of torment and despair. Hunger boiled in her stomach but she didn't let it show; she knew they were watching her, waiting for her to snap and reveal what they wanted, what she didn't know. The Alternate Olivia would soon have everything they needed, no doubt she was already pouring through the data base getting all the information and would soon be coming back to destroy the universe she loved.

Wrapping her arms around her knees she sighed, putting her head down so the curtain of brown hair would shadow her features. She had cried too much since being held against her will, yet Olivia didn't care. Lately her emotions had been off the wire, something she was sure had to do with Peter leaving. He had been her rock, her stronghold against every bad thing in the world, and with him gone she had fallen back into herself. Finding him again in this universe had been exhilarating, something that would never happen again. She just didn't have the power to go back, and even if she could, she knew they were watching, waiting for her to try. Perhaps that's why she was in this room, the walls thrumming with hidden power. If only she could harness it, allow it to flow through her, then she'd be back in her universe and getting her life back.

Olivia wondered if Peter knew that the Olivia he was with daily wasn't his Olivia. There had to be a way of getting a message to him, some little hint that things weren't as they seemed. The only way she could tell was through his mother, a woman who still confused her. Before she could think anymore however, the shutter began to lift up, and the woman she had just been thinking about appeared before her like some beautiful ghost

"You came back." Olivia said, her voice strong as she unfolded herself, rising until she was standing tall.

Elizabeth nodded, a soft smile on her face. "Yes." she replied, her eyes soft.

Olivia frowned, "Why? Is this some new means of torture? To make me think I can trust you before you send me off to some camp where I'll just end up dying?" she inquired stiffly, her brow raising.

"I have no intention of sending you anywhere. Walter is off on business and I just thought you could use some company." Elizabeth replied staring at the other woman with compassion in her green eyes. "When was the last time you ate anything?" she asked curiously.

"When was the last time Mr. Secretary was here?" Olivia shot back, clearly unhappy. Sighing she closed her eyes, walking up to the window and leaning her head against the cool glass. "I can't remember." she whispered gently.

Elizabeth smiled, feeling the need to comfort this woman; yet she did nothing more but turn her head and nod to someone Olivia couldn't see.

"You need food."

"I need to get out of here and warn Peter." Olivia glowered at the woman before her.

"I can't do that yet. But I will help you, in any way I can." Elizabeth replied as the door to Olivia's right opened, depositing a tray of food covered by a dinner cover. "Eat Miss Dunham. You need your strength if you want out of here alive." she stated, smiling once more before the door closed, darkness engulfing Olivia.

"Why should I? For all I know you poisoned the food with a truth serum, or he just wants me gone and is waiting for me to eat it and die." Olivia replied.

The older woman sighed, her eyes closing. "I give you my word there is nothing wrong with the food. Peter will never forgive me if anything happened to you." she stated calmly, softly.

Olivia barked another laugh, this one high pitched. "Peter doesn't even know I'm here. The other Olivia made sure of that. Let me ask you something Mrs. Bishop; did you know about his plans before hand?" Olivia asked as she turned, glancing down at the tray of innocent food with longing. She wouldn't eat in front of her however, she needed answers in order to think.

Elizabeth seemed to ponder this, weighing her options. Her face gave nothing away as she thought back to the previous nights after her first encounter with Olivia. Having ties to the DoD meant she could get her hands on anything she wanted; even classified items that no one else should see. That and knowing the combination to the safe in her husbands office helped too. It had been in that safe that she had gathered some of the truth; that Walter had planned on murdering their son to save this universe, thus destroying theirs. In that moment it had hit her; the full weight of what it all meant slipping over her shoulders. Keeping that new information to herself, she had gone about her daily life as if nothing was different, speaking to those around her in her normal soothing voice. She had spoken to Agent Farnsworth a few times, and the young woman could tell something was up, something that would impact everything.

"I know what I need to know Miss Dunham." She finally replied after a moment that lasted longer to Olivia.

Olivia nodded, knowing she wasn't going to get any more out of her at that moment. Whether Elizabeth knew they were under surveillance or she didn't want Olivia to know she knew more Olivia couldn't tell. Moving back to her cot she sat down, her bangs falling into her eyes tickling them. What she really needed was a shower and some hair dye to get this ugly red-brown out. As if sensing this Elizabeth smiled,

"Agent Farnsworth will be here shortly to escort you to the facilities. There you will be able to go back to your natural hair color. Blond I believe it is?"

Olivia blinked; just how much did she know? There had been no possible way for Elizabeth to garner that information, unless Peter told her. "Peter told you didn't he?" she asked, her green eyes drifting over her face. She knew the answer as plain as day even before Elizabeth spoke.

"He told me what I needed to know. Now please Miss Dunham, eat. Agent Farnsworth will be here shortly." Elizabeth replied calmly, a hidden sadness in her voice that Olivia picked up on straight away. The woman missed her son dearly.

Sensing that she'd only get another few moments alone with her Olivia did as she was told. Standing she bent down and picked up the tray, walking back to her cot and placing it on her legs. Hesitantly she opened the cover and blinked. A small bowl of what looked like tomato soup and two pieces of bread. It looked like a steak dinner to Olivia and she began eating with vigor. Sipping the glass of tepid water she looked up and smiled a bit at Elizabeth as she nodded.

"Sorry the food is dour, but I can't very well give you steaks. At least not yet. Please have patience Miss Dunham. Things are already in the works." Elizabeth said before abruptly closing the shutter and walking away.

Olivia sat there, picking a piece of bread apart, her face void of any emotions. Elizabeth Bishop was exactly like her son' even though she didn't know her except form what Peter had told her, she was still willing to risk her life to free her. It gave Olivia the impression that Elizabeth was beginning ot see the truth in her husband, a man who had gone more crazier than the Walter Olivia knew and loved dearly. Finishing off her soup she bit into the bread and pondered the meaning behind her words. How would she help without doing more harm than good. Immediately Olivia began thinking; if she was going to get out of here alive she'd have to do it herself. Dropping the finished tray on the ground she kicked it towards the door a plan already forming in her mind.

Elizabeth walked out of the Department of Defense holding area, nodding goodbye to the sleepy looking guard as she passed him. She needed to do a few things before implementing her plan. She hadn't been lying when she told Olivia she was going to help the woman out getting her back to her universe. She just needed a few things first before thinking of how to proceed. Which meant a trip to Massive Dynamics.


End file.
